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Topic: Making a good thread (Read 8123 times)

You are absolutely correct, Lynn. I know that if I am writing about something that happened to me, knowing which details to omit and which are vital can be very difficult, in that I am emotionally invested in what I am saying. Too bad we all can't have an editor sitting at our elbow to guide us.

One of the derailments that drives me a little batty is when people start going on and on about food, and virtual food. I haven't seen it for awhile, and I know a few posters had complained. But if it was an interesting thread, and all of a sudden there are 3 solid pages of food talk, I am more likely to just give up on the thread instead of searching for a post with some real substance. (Or should I say: a post with some meat?)

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I have enough lithium in my medicine cabinet to power three cars across a sizeable desert. Which makes me officially...Three Cars Crazy

That's when you ask them to start another thread for that discussion. Most of the time people do just that, so I don't see it as much of a problem. I don't like derailments where people start objecting to something that has nothing to do with the question at hand asked by the OP. It seems counter-productive.

I have a question related to the bolded...in real life conversation its considered acceptable to speak up if you hear something racist/sexist/ageist/other prejudice/name calling/inappropriate content etc.

So...is it ok to do that on e-hell? I've kind of backed off and done a lot of ignoring of things that have bothered me recently as I got some flak for calling people on things I really felt were unacceptable in exactly the way I would face to face.

That's when you ask them to start another thread for that discussion. Most of the time people do just that, so I don't see it as much of a problem. I don't like derailments where people start objecting to something that has nothing to do with the question at hand asked by the OP. It seems counter-productive.

I have a question related to the bolded...in real life conversation its considered acceptable to speak up if you hear something racist/sexist/ageist/other prejudice/name calling/inappropriate content etc.

So...is it ok to do that on e-hell? I've kind of backed off and done a lot of ignoring of things that have bothered me recently as I got some flak for calling people on things I really felt were unacceptable in exactly the way I would face to face.

In this case, if it really bothers you I would suggest reporting to the mods. This would be the only acceptable process on this forum, I guess.

That is such a hard line to draw. Something racist, for example, should be called out, and I wouldn't mind if that totally derailed the thread, although I would feel sorry for an innocent OP who didn't have their question answered.

But sometimes, what derails it is totally tangential but it hits someone's hot button, and all bets are off.

But who is to say where that line is drawn? I think that a discussion such as this helps a lot.

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I have enough lithium in my medicine cabinet to power three cars across a sizeable desert. Which makes me officially...Three Cars Crazy

That's when you ask them to start another thread for that discussion. Most of the time people do just that, so I don't see it as much of a problem. I don't like derailments where people start objecting to something that has nothing to do with the question at hand asked by the OP. It seems counter-productive.

I have a question related to the bolded...in real life conversation its considered acceptable to speak up if you hear something racist/sexist/ageist/other prejudice/name calling/inappropriate content etc.

So...is it ok to do that on e-hell? I've kind of backed off and done a lot of ignoring of things that have bothered me recently as I got some flak for calling people on things I really felt were unacceptable in exactly the way I would face to face.

In this case, if it really bothers you I would suggest reporting to the mods. This would be the only acceptable process on this forum, I guess.

I think this is the only option, but I also find reporting to the mods a hard decision! On other forums I use the mods are seriously hands off and don't like people reporting stuff unless its really really serious, whereas here they seem a bit more hands on and like they'd prefer you to err on the side of caution and if in doubt, report. Still, nobody likes feeling like they're always running to the mods!

I like threads where responses to the OP's question reflect opinions or provide personal examples/anecdotes. That gives me food for thought.

I tend to think in tangents, so am guilty of going off-topic. My apologies, I do my best to stay on track, but often don't succeed. As long as the OP has their question answered, I think it's fine later on in a thread...

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"The only difference between a rut and a grave is their dimensions." Ellen Glasgow

That's when you ask them to start another thread for that discussion. Most of the time people do just that, so I don't see it as much of a problem. I don't like derailments where people start objecting to something that has nothing to do with the question at hand asked by the OP. It seems counter-productive.

I have a question related to the bolded...in real life conversation its considered acceptable to speak up if you hear something racist/sexist/ageist/other prejudice/name calling/inappropriate content etc.

So...is it ok to do that on e-hell? I've kind of backed off and done a lot of ignoring of things that have bothered me recently as I got some flak for calling people on things I really felt were unacceptable in exactly the way I would face to face.

In this case, if it really bothers you I would suggest reporting to the mods. This would be the only acceptable process on this forum, I guess.

I think this is the only option, but I also find reporting to the mods a hard decision! On other forums I use the mods are seriously hands off and don't like people reporting stuff unless its really really serious, whereas here they seem a bit more hands on and like they'd prefer you to err on the side of caution and if in doubt, report. Still, nobody likes feeling like they're always running to the mods!

I would only feel bad about it if I was reporting everything. However, if something gets out of hand, I would hope that posters would be afraid of feeling that way, thus avoiding necessary reports .

Part of what makes a thread "good" IMO is the title-and part of it is the subject matter-especially if there's a pretty extreme case involved where there seems to be a person who is etiquette-challenged as well as empathy-challenged-such a person develops into a Jerkoid/K'nnihve/Nichol type character that we want to know more about. We all like to hear about such a person being put in his/her place (politely, of course).

Another, I guess, is if the thread has a humorous potential, like the Thread-Killing thread where everyone turns it into a game.

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I'm away from sanity right now...please leave a message after the beep.

That is such a hard line to draw. Something racist, for example, should be called out, and I wouldn't mind if that totally derailed the thread, although I would feel sorry for an innocent OP who didn't have their question answered.

But sometimes, what derails it is totally tangential but it hits someone's hot button, and all bets are off.

But who is to say where that line is drawn? I think that a discussion such as this helps a lot.

Interesting question. Out of a long thread, two or three posts that aren't exactly on point don't bother me too much. Like if someone says, "Excuse me, but what does her having purple hair have to do with anything?" because being judged for having an unusual hair color is a hot button for them, and someone else says, "Well, it explains why the OP didn't immediately recognize her again later, when her hair was brown," and the first person says, "Oh, okay, thanks, I missed that." I don't think that exchange is too distracting, as long as people get back to the question in the OP afterwards. Or maybe the OP will say, "You're right, I shouldn't have mentioned the purple hair, it has no bearing on the issue," and the first person says, "Okay, thank you," and again the discussion gets back on track. It's kind of like what they say in class--if YOU have a question, probably lots of other people have that same question but just don't want to ask it.

I think bad derailments come when the person who starts the tangent just won't let it go. Like, if someone tries to explain why the purple hair was important to the story, and the Tangenter just keeps saying, "No, I don't get it," followed by a philosophical treatise on the value of hair color as it relates to personal identity, prompting other people to post with comments either for or against the purple hair--that's when things go downhill.

On the other hand, as someone else mentioned, sometimes the main issue of the thread has run its course, and following pleasant tangents seems like a natural part of good conversation. It can be a little difficult to tell the difference sometimes, and I think the OP can help with this--they could reply and thank people for contributing if they feel they've gotten the answers they need, for example, or reply to say that they're still confused about something. That might give people a clue as to whether the OP feels they were sufficiently advised or not.

Lynn hit the nail on the head. I think it's up to each of us to monitor ourselves and be conscientious enough to realize when we're going off topic too much. Sometimes you just have to let stuff go and stop stubbornly pursuing it. Or take it to PM so the thread can go back on track.